


Doomed From The Start

by radnewsbarrett



Category: Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert, if you’re willing to pretend your name’s valerie lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 14:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18918976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radnewsbarrett/pseuds/radnewsbarrett
Summary: Seven criminals walked into the heist - Brown, Blue, Orange, White, Blonde, Pink, Green. Only two made it out alive.





	Doomed From The Start

Everything was a blur. First the alarm got tripped, then Mr. Blonde took the first shot... No, Mr. Blonde shot before the alarms, wait- did Mr. Blonde shoot first? Where's Mr. Pink, did he make it out, who made it out - 

Valerie's mind was racing as she stared out at the road before her, sirens blaring in her ears. She looked around desperately for someone, anyone, to get her out of here, then miraculously her eyes met Mr. Brown's. 

She raced across the street and grabbed his arm. "Where should we go?" she yelled over the commotion. He said nothing, then suddenly yanked her into a running car. He pushed the driver out and started driving, his eyes wide and his knuckles white on the steering wheel. 

Three gunshots rang out, and Mr. Brown screamed. "Jesus!" he shrieked, holding his hands over his face. "They shot my eye! I'm blind!" Valerie stared helplessly at Mr. Brown as he flailed around, trying hard not to vomit. Soon, Mr. Brown slumped over in his seat. He died from shock. 

Valerie pulled the car over and shoved Mr. Brown into the passenger's seat. She caught her reflection in the rear view mirror and gagged when she saw the blood splattered across her face. 

She pulled in to the meet up house after twenty minutes. She was starting to enter a state of shock herself; this was never supposed to happen. Mr. Blonde was never supposed to shoot anybody. No one should've died. She stared at Mr. Brown in the passenger seat, her hands shaking as she reached out and closed his eyes. 

She stumbled into the building, her legs wobbly. She gasped when she found Mr. Orange, covered in blood, and Mr. White.

"Orange," she whispered, hurrying to him. "What happened - "

"Some lady shot him when we tried to get into her car." She looked up at Mr. White. "Joe'll be here any minute now with a doctor, I'm sure." He glanced down at Mr. Orange when he let out a groan. "Hey, kid, you're gonna be fine." He looked back up at Valerie. "Jesus, Green, whose blood is that - "

The door busted open and Mr. Pink ran in, doubling over. He looked up at the scene before him, Mr. Orange bleeding out as Mr. White and Miss Green watched, and he closed his eyes, sighing loudly. "Jesus Christ," he moaned, covering his face with his hands. 

Valerie stood up and walked to him. "Come on, come with me." She led Mr. Pink into the back, stopping in a room with a sink and some boxes. 

"That was a fucking setup," he hissed. "A goddamn setup, and one of our guys was a rat. I'm absolutely positive." 

"How do you know?" Valerie asked. Her voice was empty. 

"Did you see how fast the cops showed up? They were waiting there already, there's no fuckin' way cops can react that fast to some gunshots. They were tipped off by one of us." Mr. Pink grew more and more angry as he spoke. 

"Well do you have any ideas on who it is?" Valerie asked. 

Mr. Pink blinked. "...No. But I do know that the first order of business now is to get the fuck out of here." Valerie looked away. 

"What about Orange and White?"

Mr. Pink frowned. "...Alright, guess we do have to stay here, at least until Joe shows up." He looked at Valerie. "You know where everyone else is?"

Valerie shook her head. "I have no idea where Mr. Blonde is, the fucking maniac. But I... Mr. Brown grabbed a car for us and started driving out, then he got shot through the window. They shot - " Valerie took a breath " - they shot him in the eye. He died of shock before he bled out. I threw him into the passenger seat and drove here."

Mr. Pink was silent. "He fucking died on my shoulder, I'm fucking covered in his goddamn fucking blood, fucking - " Valerie doubled over and retched, clutching her stomach. Mr. Pink watched her and grimaced, hesitantly reaching out and rubbing her back as she vomited. 

\---

"So the whole point of the song is that Madonna is falling in love for the first time again."

Valerie sat at a diner table with all the people on the job with her, and the Cabots. She was in a heated discussion with Mr. Brown about the Madonna song Like a Virgin.

"No, no," he said, shaking his head. "It's literally talking about how she feels like a virgin, because of a big dick." Valerie stifled a laugh. "You know, she fucks guys all the time, but one guy makes it feel like her first time again. You know?"

Valerie shook her head, giggling. "No, I don't know. It's about love, Mr. Brown. What the hell?"

The other guys were just chatting. Valerie looked over when Nice Guy Eddie spoke. "Hey, everyone owes a dollar for the tip." Valerie and Mr. Brown quickly set down the money and returned to their conversation. 

They talked for a bit more about songs and radio stations. "Hey, do you listen to that 'Sounds of the Seventies' station?" Valerie asked. 

As Mr. Brown tried to remember, Valerie overheard Mr. Pink talking. "She refilled my coffee three fuckin' times, okay?"

"If you want more coffee you can have mine." Valerie picked up her new mug and set it in front of Mr. Pink, smiling. Everyone stared at her. "What?"

"Have you not heard anything of what he's been saying?" Mr. White asked, his eyebrows raised. 

"Uh, not really."

"Essentially, he doesn't tip because he thinks that waitresses don't deserve it," Mr. Orange explained. 

Valerie rolled her eyes. "Just put in a fuckin' dollar, Pink. God." She turned back to Mr. Brown, meeting Mr. Pink's eyes for a moment and smiling a bit. He looked away quickly and sighed. 

"Well, this isn't normal for me. On any other occasion this wouldn't be happening," he said as he pulled out his wallet. Mr. Brown made a face at Valerie, and she laughed. 

After, as they walked back to their cars, Mr. Pink stepped towards Valerie. "Hey, thanks for the coffee," he said, stuttering a bit. 

"Don't mention it," Valerie said kindly, brushing her hair behind her ear. "And I used to be a waitress, I've probably worked at 20 different diners. You have no idea how much work we have to do." Mr. Pink shrugged. 

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He started for his own car. "See you soon, Miss Green."

"You too, Mr. Pink," Valerie replied, grinning. She got into her car and started it up, smiling faintly. 

\---

Valerie sat next to Mr. Orange, rubbing circles into the palm of his hand. Mr. Pink and Mr. White were talking in the center of the room. She looked down at Mr. Orange, speaking to him quietly. "You're gonna be alright," she said quietly, her breath hitching a bit as she felt a sob rise in her throat. Mr. Orange nodded, struggling to breathe. Valerie ran her hand over his hair and turned to Mr. Pink and Mr. White. 

She stood up. "What the fuck are we supposed to do? Joe isn't showing up."

"Yeah, I noticed that," White snapped, pacing back and forth. "We need to stay calm, okay? First we need to figure out who the rat is."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Mr. Pink demanded. "It could be any one of us, and half of us are either fucking missing or dead!"

"Hey, calm down," Valerie said, walking to Mr. Pink. "Let's not jump to any conclusions, okay? Brown is dead, Blonde and Blue are missing. That's it."

"Yeah, and where the hell are Joe and Eddie? Can you explain that away, Green!?" Mr. Pink shouted, obviously exasperated. 

"Excuse me? What the fuck is your issue, Pink?" Valerie turned to face him, glaring. "Pardon me if I'm wrong, but we're both in the same amount of shit right now, right? You have no right to give me any bullshit!" Mr. Pink took a step back, his eyes wide. 

She froze. "...Sorry, I didn't mean to - "

Mr. Pink shook his head. "No, you're right. We need to stay cool. I'm sorry." Valerie looked up at him, nodding slightly. 

"Jesus Christ, what kinda soap opera bullshit is this?"

Valerie, Mr. Pink, and Mr. White all turned when they heard Mr. Blonde. He laughed a bit, sipping a soda. "I mean, my God. Why don't you two go out back and fuck and I'll take care of everything." Mr. Pink started to yell, but Valerie beat him to the punch. She stalked up to Mr. Blonde, her hand resting above the gun in her pocket. 

"Yeah, okay. Where the hell have you been? Out getting fucking brunch? I don't know of you can tell, but we have a fucking crisis on our hands! I watched Mr. Brown get shot through his goddamn eye. I think you need to start taking this seriously." Mr. Blonde stared at her, a little smile on his face. He turned away from her and set his soda down on a table. 

"Alright, Jesus. Anyways, I talked to Nice Guy Eddie. Says he's on his way." Valerie sighed. "Now take a step back, okay? And let go of the fuckin' gun." Valerie turned around and shoved the gun far into her pocket. 

"Hey, Green, wait. I think I have something that you'll like. Come with me to my car." Valerie turned back, studying Mr. Blonde's grin. 

She followed him out, once again inching her hand closer and closer to her gun. He popped the trunk and stepped aside. "Here you go." Valerie peered inside and grinned. A police officer laid tied up in the trunk, writhing and moaning through the tape over his mouth. 

She and Mr. Blonde dragged the cop inside. She threw him to the ground and kicked him a couple times. Mr. White and Mr. Pink joined her, and Mr. Blonde grabbed some duct tape. In minutes, the cop was tied up in a rickety wooden chair. 

Mr. White threw a couple punches. "Who's the fuckin' rat?" he hissed, smacking the cop hard in the face. Mr. Pink threw a punch and stumbled back. Valerie almost laughed, but she caught herself. 

"You okay?" she asked him quickly. 

He looked at her and nodded quickly. "Yeah."

"Okay, good." She sighed. "So did you get the diamonds, anyway? I never asked."

He nodded again. "Yeah, I did. I stashed them." Valerie grinned and reached out, taking his hand. She looked down at it and her eyes widened. She tore her hand away, her face turning red. 

"Hey, it's... It's fine." Mr. Pink reached out and let his hand graze Valerie's arm for just a second. Valerie was about to speak when she heard the door bust open. 

"Alright, what the ever-loving fuck is going on in here?!"

Valerie nearly shrieked when Nice Guy Eddie stormed in, screaming. "The fuck is happening? What the fuck are all those cars doing here, looks like a fucking drive-in out there!" Mr. White's lips pulled into a scowl. 

"It's all his fault," he announced, pointing a finger at Mr. Blonde. Blonde raised his eyebrows, looking at Eddie in exaggerated surprise. "You know what he looked like back there?" Eddie turned back to Mr. White as he raised his hand, holding it like a gun. "Bang." He hit Eddie. "Bang." Mr. Pink. "Bang." Mr. Blonde. "Bang." Valerie.

"Yeah, yeah, bang bang fuckin' bang. Shut the fuck up, Mr. White." Eddie rolled his eyes, and Mr. Blonde smirked at Mr. White from behind his back. "Now please, God, please tell me someone got the diamonds."

Mr. Pink nodded. "I - I got them." Eddie let go of a smile. 

"Great. Where are they?"

"I stashed them." 

Eddie gestured for Mr. Pink to follow him. "Alright, White, Pink, you come with me. Let's go get 'em. Blonde, you watch the cop. Green, uh... Take care of Orange. Aren't girls good at that kind of shit?" 

Valerie looked over at Eddie, frowning. "You know I'm the best shot here, Eddie. I should go - " Eddie had already walked out. Mr. Pink cast a final glance back at Valerie before climbing into his car. 

Valerie sighed, sitting down next to Orange. "Sorry about him," Mr. Blonde said, a little smirk on his face. "He can be a real dick."

Valerie rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."

\---

Valerie sat in the bedroom of her apartment, brushing her hair. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and she smiled; she wanted to make a good enough impression on Joe Cabot's son, even though she knew Joe had probably talked his ear off about her after they met. She stood up and shrugged a purse onto her shoulder. She opened it and peered inside, checking for her gun. She walked out and got into her car. 

When she got to the bar, she looked around a bit until she spotted Mr. White near the bar. She walked to them. "Hey," she said briefly, sitting down next to him. "How are you?"

She looked around the table until setting her gaze on a guy with fluffy brown hair and an easygoing smile. She assumed he was Eddie; he sat right next to Joe. "Miss Green?" he asked. She nodded, sticking her hand out to shake it. He shook her hand definitively. "You're one hell of looker, Jesus!" Valerie smiled a bit, though she didn't like the leer he was giving her. "But Joe told me that already."

"Well, did he tell you anything else?" Valerie asked kindly, thinking about her marksmanship. She was the best person she knew with a gun. 

"Uh... No. Why don't you tell me about yourself?" Valerie deflated a bit, but plastered a smile on her face. 

"Well, I'd say I'm a really good shot - I've been working at it since I was a kid."

Joe grinned. "She's right about that, Eddie. The girl's a force to be reckoned with." He looked around at the rest of the guys. "Now, Mr. White you've met, so this is Mr. Pink and Mr. Orange." Valerie looked over at the two. Mr. Pink was a bit mousy. He nodded to her. Mr. Orange seemed pretty cool; he carried himself like a gangster. She said hello to both of them. 

"So, Miss Green... Would you like a drink?" Eddie said lowly to her, smiling devilishly. She smiled politely. 

"Oh, no thanks. I'm good, I think." 

Eddie frowned. "Oh, come on, lady, just one drink!" 

Valerie shook her head. "Really, that's super of you, but no thanks." 

Eddie shrugged. "Yeah, whatever. You'll come around, I guess." Valerie turned away from him, frowning. 

"He can be kind of an asshole," Mr. White muttered. Valerie nodded. "Hey, can you move? I'm gonna go take a piss." Valerie stood up and let Mr. White leave, the she sat down next to Mr. Pink this time.

"Hey, it's nice to meet you." She put her hand out and he shook it. "Mr. Pink, right?"

"Yeah. You're Green?" Valerie nodded. "It's nice to meet you too." He paused. "So, you're a good shot, huh?"

"Yeah, I like to think so," Valerie replied. "Joe told me I'll probably get put on guard duty or escort for the guy getting the diamonds. How about you?"

Mr. Pink smiled a bit. "I'm the guy gettin' the diamonds." 

"Oh, cool." Valerie rested her chin on her hand, propping her arm on the table. "This should go pretty well. Joe told me the whole plan, seems really sound."

"I don't know, seems pretty standard to me," Mr. Pink responded. 

"I don't usually work with people with such foolproof plans, I guess. I've had a lot of jobs blow up in my face because someone fucked up along the way."

"Hm. That doesn't usually happen to me." Valerie shrugged. "Anyways, uh... You want a drink? I just noticed you don't have one."

Valerie smiled warmly. "Yeah, that'd be awesome. Whatever you’re having." Mr. Pink stood up and left, leaving Valerie with Joe and Mr. Orange. Eddie had left; Valerie figured he was pestering some poor bartender. 

"Hey, nice to meet you." Valerie looked at Mr. Orange when he spoke. 

"You too." He smiled at her, and Valerie realized her initial assessment of him wasn't very accurate. He seemed more sensitive than you'd assume, based on his slicked back hair and tight leather jacket. 

Mr. Pink was back soon with a drink. Valerie took a swig. "Thanks. Sometime I'll buy you a drink, to repay you."

Mr. Pink blinked, seeming to blush a little. Mr. Orange grinned behind him. "No, it's - it's okay. You don't have to."

Valerie shrugged. "Okay." She set down the glass. "Tell me about yourself, Mr. Pink."

Mr. Pink shrugged. "There isn't too much to tell. I'm a thief, con, criminal, you name it. That's about it."

"No, I mean what are you like? Is there anything weird you're good at or something? Like me, for two years I sang in a concert choir." 

Mr. Pink grinned. "You're kidding." Valerie shook her head, laughing a bit.

"Well, I don't know... There's not much for me to say. This is all I've ever done." He sighed. 

Valerie frowned; she hadn't expected this conversation to get so depressing. "Hey, that's cool, though," she assured him with a smile. "I'm sure you're damn good at what you do." 

Mr. Pink smiled. "Thanks." And for what felt like the longest time, Valerie and Mr. Pink just gazed into each other's eyes. Valerie was lost in thought; she couldn't believe how easy she was warming up to this guy. He was nice, and funny, and somehow the way he was looking at her was almost - romantic? She vaguely noticed Mr. Orange leave, and she realized that Joe had left earlier. 

"Hey, Miss Green - what color are your eyes?"

Valerie blinked, torn away from her thoughts. "Um... Grey?"

Mr. Pink scoffed. "They are not grey. I see maybe four colors in there. Grey, yeah, but they're bright blue in some parts, and green and hazel around the pupil. It's kind of fuckin' amazing, actually."

Valerie was stunned. That was probably the nicest thing anyone had said to her. "W-well, your eyes are really nice too. They're the bluest eyes I've ever seen."

Mr. Pink shook his head. "They're not as pretty as yours, though."

Valerie was absolutely starstruck. She was ready to marry him. In a split second she imagined how much she would love being with Mr. Pink for the rest of her life, and she opened her mouth. "Will you - "

She turned away, sharply letting out a breath. She turned back quickly. "Will you tell your friend Mr. Orange that I like his jacket? It’s sweet."

Mr. Pink blinked, confused. "Uh... Sure."

Valerie was desperate to repair the conversation, so she forced out a laugh. "And I should probably tell you that you look cool as hell too."

Mr. Pink smiled. "Huh, thanks." 

Soon, everyone left, all getting into their own cars and driving away. Valerie slammed her hand down hard on the steering wheel. "Goddamnit," she hissed under her breath. She was sure Mr. Pink could tell that she was absolutely starstruck by him. He knew exactly what she had been about to say. "Dammit!" she shouted again, louder this time. Underneath her mortification, though, she was still thinking about what he had said about her eyes, how he bought her a drink, the way he laughed when she spoke. She nearly laughed out loud as she stopped at a light. Valerie could tell this was the sort of thing that happens once in a lifetime. 

\---

Valerie grabbed some towels from the back room and placed them gently on Mr. Orange's wound. She winced when he groaned in pain. "Sorry," she muttered, trying to clean the wound. Mr. Blonde was working on the cop. Valerie squeezed her eyes shut when she heard the cop shriek in pain. 

Valerie went to the back room for some bandages. As she quickly fished through the many drawers and cabinets, she heard the cop start screaming more. She frowned; she realized Mr. Blonde hadn't even been demanding information. She shook her head and kept looking. 

"Oh, God, please, I have a kid!"

Valerie's eyes widened and she dropped the bandages. She ran back to the front room. "Blonde, what the hell are - "

Mr. Blonde stood with a gallon of gasoline in one hand and a lighter in the other. The cop was soaked in gasoline, screaming and sobbing. 

"Blonde, don't do it," Valerie said, as calmly as she could. "Please." She slowly made her way around him, standing directly in front of the cop. 

Mr. Blonde chuckled, lighting the lighter and waving it around. "What?" he asked. "Do this?" He feigned dropping the lighter, making Valerie gasp. "Come on, Green, don't baby out on me now. This guy isn't gonna give up shit."

Valerie shook her head. "You don't know that, you - come on. Don't do it." She was growing desperate; the gun in her pocket burned. 

Mr. Blonde dropped the gasoline and took out his gun. He aimed it right between Valerie's eyes. "If you're gonna pussy out I'm gonna have to kill you." Valerie swallowed, her heart racing. 

She ripped her gun out of her pocket and aimed for his leg, but before she could shoot he was sprayed with bullets. He misfired and shot Valerie, just catching her jaw. She screamed, grabbing her face. 

For a moment she was consumed by rage. She shot Mr. Blonde's dead body over and over again, finally throwing her gun on him in one desperate final act. She stumbled back and turned to Mr. Orange. He was sitting up, his gun dangling from his hand. 

"Orange... Why did you - "

"Freddy." Valerie stopped. "My name's Freddy," Orange choked out. 

"Why did you do it?" Valerie breathed, clenching her jaw. Her face was on fire. "I pussied out on you guys. He should've killed me. You should've killed me."

Freddy shook his head. "No. No, Green, I'm a - I'm a cop." Valerie's eyes widened. 

"So you're the... You're the rat. Oh, God, you're the reason this is all happening. Oh God." Valerie could barely process what she was saying through the excruciating pain in her wound. 

"I'm sorry, Green. I'm sorry." Valerie took deep breaths, trying not to look at Mr. Blonde's corpse before her. 

"...No. I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to see me like this. I'm fucking ashamed to be a part of this. I'm sorry." Valerie started crying now, just tears, but she could feel sobs rising in her throat. 

"No, don't be. I could tell from the - from the moment I met you this wasn't your life," Freddy forced out. "You weren't made to do this."

Valerie sat next to the chair the cop was tied to. She looked up at him, just barely making eye contact. "I'm sorry," she murmured, "for kicking you earlier."

He didn't say anything. Valerie sobbed, a loud and ugly noise. She tried speaking again. "I'm so sorry."

He replied this time. "You just saved my life, I - " he took a shaky, shallow breath " - I should thank you." He started crying as well, and Valerie just now noticed the large cavity where his right ear would be. She was once again compelled to vomit, but she knew she couldn't with the blow to her jaw. 

"What's your name?" Valerie asked. 

"Marvin."

"Marvin. Okay, Marvin." She sat for a bit, trying to angle her hand so she would bleed the least. "What's your kid's name?"

He started a bit. "Uh - Stacy."

"Stacy. Stacy." Valerie gripped the side of the ramp Freddy was lying on. "That's a nice name. How is she, Marvin?"

Marvin seemed to think about it, which relieved Valerie. She needed him to stay calm. If he lost his head, she would too. "Uh, she... It's her birthday next week. I-I bought her a Barbie." He let out a choked laugh, but somewhere in the middle it came out a sob. 

"I used to love Barbies. She's gonna love it, Marvin." Valerie wondered briefly if Marvin could even understand her. 

She turned away when Marvin didn't respond. She stared at Freddy for a bit, trying to even out her breathing. He was trying to do the same. "Freddy, what am I gonna do when Joe comes back?" she whispered. "He's gonna kill me, I know."

Freddy didn't seem to hear her fully or he didn't know how to answer. He reached out and gripped her hand tightly. "What's your name?" he asked quietly. Valerie could see the tears spilling out of his eyes. 

"It's V-Veronica," Valerie stammered, what she said catching up to her a moment after it came out of her mouth. "But my friends call me Ronnie." She pushed out a laugh, hoping that Freddy believed her. 

Freddy let out a sigh. "Ronnie." He grunted as he turned to face Valerie better. "...Ronnie." He squeezed his eyes shut. "You can hide, Ronnie. You can make it. I'm fucked with Joe. You gotta run, you - you - " Freddy smashed his head into the ground, desperately grabbing at his wound with his free hand. 

Valerie was sobbing loudly now. She tried to even her breathing enough to respond. "Freddy, I - no, you know - I can't - " Valerie's words were mangled by a sob. "I can't leave you, it's my fault, it's all me, all me, okay?" she cried, holding Freddy's hand for dear life. 

"Just go!" Marvin shouted over her. She turned to him, snot running down her face and hiccuping from crying. "Go, Ronnie, you have to. You're the only one with a chance." Valerie turned back to Freddy and let go of his hand. She pushed herself up and walked to Marvin. 

She let go of her jaw, hissing as it became more and more painful. She tried her hardest to not think about the blood pouring from her face as she grabbed the tape tying Marvin to the chair. She was nearly done with the first leg when a car screeched to a halt outside. Everyone froze, silent. 

"Go. Ronnie, you need to go," Marvin hissed, craning his neck to look back at her. 

She finally nodded. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she looked around for somewhere to hide. She finally leaned down and hugged Freddy tightly, sobbing into his chest. "Thank you." She stood back up, clenching her teeth as she put her hand over her jaw again. She backed up underneath the ramp, curling up into a ball. 

Mr. Pink opened the door, walking inside with the briefcase. He stared at Orange and followed his gaze until he noticed Mr. Blonde dead on the ground. He ran to him, squatting next to him. The first thing he noticed was the gun lying on his stomach. It was Green's. He picked it up, turning back to Orange and the cop. "Where is she?" he asked. When he got no answer, he screamed, "Where the fuck is she?!"

"You gotta swear not to tell the guys," Orange said lowly. "Ronnie's hiding in here. Okay? We're gonna tell 'em she ran."

Mr. Pink stared down at Orange for a while. "Okay. Ronnie? Is that her name?" Orange nodded. "The guys'll be here - "

The door burst open. Eddie, Joe, and Mr. White all walked in. Mr. Pink turned to them. "Blonde is dead."

Eddie reacted before anyone else. He turned to Blonde's body and lifted him up by his shoulders. "Fuck," he whispered breathlessly. He nearly hugged him, but he caught himself. He set Blonde back down and turned to Orange with venom in his gaze. "Who the fuck did this to him?"

Orange grunted as he tried to turn into his side. "He was - he was gonna light the place and make off with the money. He was dumpin' gasoline all over."

Eddie turned to Joe. "Daddy, what the fuck is he talkin' about? This must be some sort of joke." Joe started to speak, but Eddie stopped him. 

"Wait a second - where's Green?" 

Orange grimaced. "She pussied out and ran. Shot Mr. Blonde and beat it."

Joe shook his head. "No, that's not possible. I know that girl, know her very very well. I can see her bein' squeamish, I can even see her killin' Blonde, but she wouldn't run."

"Well she fuckin' did. I swear on my mother's grave she ran."

"Something's going on here, and it has something to do with you. Why isn't this fucking cop dead?" Joe turned to the cop and shot him three times. Valerie nearly screamed, but she bit down on her tongue.

"Hey, hey, Joe. Calm down, alright? Leave the kid alone. There's nothing wrong with him."

"No, White, there is. He was the only one I wasn't certain on, but now I am. He's a fucking cop."

Valerie heard guns being loaded. She closed her eyes, and for the first time since she was a child, she prayed. 

"Joe. You are making a big mistake. Put the gun down." Joe must've been aiming at Freddy. "And you get that fucking gun out of my face Eddie." The picture in Valerie's mind was becoming more and more clear. 

"Larry, stop pointing that fucking gun at my fucking dad - "

Three shots rang out. Valerie scrambled out from under the ramp, staring in horror at the bloodbath before her. Joe and Eddie were laid out next to each other, and Mr. White was desperately reaching for Mr. Orange. "Green!" 

Mr. Pink grabbed Valerie's arm and dragged her out the door. He pushed her into the car and got into the driver's seat, starting the car with shaking hands. He turned to actually get a good look at Valerie. 

"Christ... What happened to you?" he asked. 

"Blonde," she responded quietly. 

They drove in silence for a long time. "So... Ronnie? That short for Veronica or somethin'?" He glanced at her, reaching down quickly and handing her a few tissues. 

She stuck them over her jaw. "That's not my name. I told them a fake, it was instinct." Mr. Pink raised his eyebrows. "My real name's Valerie. Valerie Wallace."

"Valerie Wallace." He took a deep breath. “Yeah.” She glanced at him, waiting to hear his name, but he never said it. He looked ill. 

“Where are we going?” Valerie asked quietly. 

“I don’t know. You need help with your face.” He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. “I don’t want to take you to the hospital.”

“That... That wouldn’t be a good idea.” Valerie nodded, gritting her teeth.

“I’ll take you home. You’ll be okay.” He reached out and held her hand tightly. Valerie could barely think clearly; she watched Mr. Pink’s expressions, frowning as he turned tightly to the right. 

He stopped the car suddenly on the side of the road, quickly doing a bad parallel parking job and jumping out of the car. He ran around to the other side and opened the door for Valerie, reaching in and helping her. “You look like shit,” he muttered. “I - I mean I - “

“Yeah. I know.” She tried to smile at him, but her face hurt too much to do it. “I don’t think there’s still any bullet left in me. Just gotta have it stitched up.”

He wrapped his arm around her and held her tightly. She glanced over at his face and noticed that he looked worried, but scared more than anything else. She could feel fear gripping at her heart as well, and she blinked away tears. The feeling of Mr. Pink’s arm around her made her feel grounded. 

His place was barely anything. It was a mess most of all. He sat her down at a chair and knelt down, looking closely at the side of her face. “This is pretty fucked,” he murmured. Almost unconsciously, he reached out and held her hand. “You’re - you’re gonna be alright, though.” He looked up at her and smiled thinly. “Okay?”

She squeezed his hand. “Okay.” He stood up and disappeared into the bathroom, and she was left to wait. Tears sprang back to her eyes, and she tried desperately to keep them from spilling. Now that Mr. Pink wasn’t here to distract her, the burning pain in her face was brought to the center of her attention. She clasped her hands and squeezed, trying to ignore the pain. 

After an eternity Mr. Pink was back. He held a first aid kit in stark white hands, shakily pulling a folding chair over and sitting next to her. “It’s gonna hurt, okay?” She just barely nodded. “I’m sorry.”

He took out a sharp little needle and a spool of thread. Valerie was ready to vomit. He brought it to her face and started stitching. She gritted her teeth, holding back a scream. It burned like nothing she’d ever felt before. “I’m really sorry, okay?” he said hurriedly. “I’m sorry.” She nodded again, starting to adjust to the searing pain. 

“Y’know...” Mr. Pink started. Valerie glanced up, watching him. “I’ve been thinking, I guess. Today - maybe for a couple weeks.” Valerie couldn’t respond, and this somehow emboldened him. He continued, less nervous. “I like you, Valerie. A lot. And for the first time in my life, I... I was scared of losing one of the guys on my team. I was fucking terrified of losing you.” Valerie felt tears pricking at her eyes. “Oh, Jesus, I didn’t mean to - don’t cry.” He quickly finished with her face and tied the suture, his eyebrows furrowed in worry. 

Valerie reached up and felt it with a shaking hand, then wiped her eyes. “I liked you too, Pink. I knew it when I first met you. I knew it at the diner. I’m sorry I fucked this whole job up, we - “ He cut her off by reaching in and hugging her tightly. 

She melted into him, sobbing. He rubbed circles into her back, holding her as she cried. “It’s okay. It wasn’t you,” he whispered. “You’re okay.”

She took a heaving breath in, trying to stop her crying. “Thank you.” He leaned back and looked into her eyes; he was just as scared as she was. He leaned in slowly and kissed her forehead, and she really smiled for the first time in hours. They sat there, Mr. Pink’s hands around her and the diamonds in the trunk of his car, and they closed their eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> heyo! thanks for reading! i wrote this in 2017 lol but redid the ending! :) hope all yall steve buscemi fans are happy!!


End file.
